OTTAWA — An Ottawa digital expert has been quietly giving Canada’s MPs what he sees as much-needed makeovers.

Be connected, be current, and show your personality — these are just some of the tips digital public affairs strategist Mark Blevis writes in his analytical, no-holds-barred critiques of MP websites, Twitter accounts, blogs and Facebook fan pages, where everyone gets graded and no one does all that well.

In fact, of the 13 MPs he’s profiled, no one has earned an overall “A.”

“Gone are the days when the goal is simply to be online,” Blevis said.

“As important as it is for MPs to be in various places such as Twitter and YouTube, it’s far more important that they use the places they’ve selected, and use them well.”

“It’s not uncommon to hear a variety of different viewpoints from citizens and groups on what you should do, or what you should not do, as a member of parliament. However, Mark’s points were very unique,” Albas said.

The British Columbia MP said he is “absolutely” taking Blevis’s advice.

The strategist’s analyses focus on the platforms an MP is using and how they’re all connected, the content an MP transmits, and how they engage people online.

He also includes a bonus category. Here, he gives MPs a mark based on particular circumstances that play into their online presence. For instance, 22-year-old NDP MP Laurin Liu got bonus points on her otherwise “disappointing” use of digital media because she might still be learning the political ropes.

He also rewards the unique and interesting. That’s where Trudeau got kudos for posting a photo of him being arrested by stormtroopers at a Montreal comic book convention.

“I thought it was fantastic. People pay a great deal of money to have that kind of analysis,” Bennett said.

The reality is that people go almost exclusively online to find the political information they’re looking for, so an MP’s online presence can be an incredibly effective tool to engage with their voters and interest groups, Blevis said.

“It’s a matter of taking those skills they might use the next time they go to a parade or to a pancake breakfast – the kind of skills that make people feel good about being around an MP – and translate them into the digital space,” Blevis said.

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Factbox: A snapshot of Blevis’s MP digital report cards

Labour Minister Lisa Raitt stands during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, November 21, 2012.

Who: Labour Minister Lisa Raitt

Digital grade: D-minus

Comment: “Besides going through a period during which her Twitter account was made private then re-opened to the public, and now being largely absent from that channel, Ms. Raitt has taken to deleting critical commentary from her Facebook Wall.”

Justin Trudeau

Who: Liberal MP Justin Trudeau

Digital grade: B-plus

Comment: “Coupled with his active and energetic Twitter and Facebook updates including images of him being arrested by Star Wars Stormtroopers and photos of an outing at Centreville, Trudeau allows the public to post to his Facebook Page. Both are reasonably rare among MPs.”

New Democratic Party MP Laurin Liu.

Who: NDP MP Laurin Liu

Digital grade: C-plus

Comment: “I must admit I was disappointed when preparing this digital makeover. I had high hopes that a young MP might be injecting youthful energy into the mix.”